F.L.O.W. for Success

We have all heard of the term “go with the flow.” Successful people have found their way for going with the flow in their life. It is different for all of us and we need to find our own way with the flow that is right for us. If you are feeling like you are struggling or swimming against the current, you may not be in the flow. Speaking of “current,” it can relate to present time and also the direction something is running, like water, air, or electricity. Could it be possible that flow is simply the direction we are running in this present moment? If so, we are either in alignment with our flow or not.

Each river flows at varying rates at different points. We can be stuck in an eddy, jammed at a dam, moving swiftly, or crashing over class 5 rapids. The goal is to find our flow to keep moving in the direction we seek. A river is always changing. It is said you can never step into the same river twice. Even if you step in the same place you just stepped it is not the same water as the water you stepped in before. It has moved on. Is it time for you to move on?

Here’s how to find your FLOW:

F – Follow your bliss. The famed mythologist and lecturer Joseph Campbell wrote: “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” This concept has even deeper roots. Confucius shared, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” It doesn’t mean everything is going to be pixie dust and unicorns. Campbell also said, “In the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” There will be times you need to go against the current to get where you want to go, and it may be downright scary. The history of many biographies shows those that were willing to follow their bliss achieved great things. Will your biography be one of them?

L – Live your life. In today’s world of social media and instant access to information, it can be detrimentally easy to mistakenly compare our situation with others and, set ourselves up to feel like we are not enough during our journey. As I look out my window as I write, I notice the beautiful almost glowing red leaves of a Liquid Amber tree. Not too far away are the green leaves of a Magnolia that recently surrendered its amazing white blossoms. How crazy would it be for the Magnolia to compare itself to the Amber? They’re both beautiful and they are different. Each does itself gloriously. Are you doing you gloriously? Judy Garland said it right, “Always be a first-rate version of who you are rather than a second-rate version of somebody else.” Keep in mind we are on a journey of growth and becoming. Socrates provides good council on this one, “To gain a good reputation you must endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” Are you endeavoring to live your bests life?

O- Observe and accept what currently is, rather than judging it or thinking it should be different than it is. After all, it is what it is. To expect or wish a Chevy to be a Ford is a waste of energy. Grab the keys to the Ford and start your journey to go after getting your Chevy, if that’s what you want. Too often people dwell in assuming something should be different than it is. It’s the assuming that is at the root of all personal drama. Find that part of you that can move along the spectrum from judging and suffering to accepting and appreciating. This is not to say, if you believe something needs to change or improve, you should just sit around and live with what you deem evil, wrong, or inferior. If it drains energy from you and does not allow you to live your life, then it is wrong for you. You get to do something about it. Evil is live spelled backward. Are you living your life or acquiescing to an evil?

W – Wrap up your segments. One of my favorite essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson ends with, “…Finish each day and be done with it. You’ve done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” In today’s world, with all that comes our way and the many decisions we must make, chances are there are more blunders and absurdities that can creep into our existence than ever before. Heck, I usually commit 5 or 6 just by noon. If we allowed ourselves to second guess or wallow in less than perfect decisions and execution, we become encumbered in continuing to create, serve, support, and carry things out at our full potential in the next segment of our day. We must do our best to learn from our mistakes and miscues to improve and progress. However, to replay over and over in our mind what was judged to be wrong or not enough, or could have been done differently only serves to protect us from breaking out of our cocoon and becoming our stellar self.

Keep in mind turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones is just as important as celebrating the wins along the way. We must learn to equate each segment of our day, however it happens, as wind in our sails so we can continue on in our flow.